Towns County sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northeast Georgia, with Brasstown Bald in the southwest and Chatuge Lake filling much of the northeast. Homes in and around Hiawassee and Young Harris are often built on hillside and lakefront lots, which means more steps than a flat-land house would have.
Those slopes push many houses toward split-level and multi-story layouts, with exterior steps up from the driveway and interior stair runs between floors. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift and which programs in the county may help with the cost.
A split-level house can have two or three short stair runs instead of one long one. Each run may need its own lift, or a curved rail that follows a turn or landing. We look at every set of stairs a person uses daily, not just the main staircase.
Lakefront lots around Chatuge Lake often have steps from the parking area down to the front door. Those exterior steps face rain and weather, so an outdoor-rated lift is a different conversation from an indoor one. Sometimes the better answer outside is a platform lift, especially for someone who uses a wheelchair.
A straight lift fits a single run with no turns, and it is the simplest install. Curved lifts follow landings and corners, which are common in multi-story homes built into a hillside. Platform lifts carry a wheelchair and suit short vertical rises like a porch or deck.
Housing in the county also includes townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. In a townhouse, a lift usually goes on the interior stairs. Walk-up apartments and shared stairwells can involve building rules, so it helps to check with the owner or manager before an assessment.
Towns County is known as a mountain-lake retirement destination. As of the 2020 Census, the median age was 57.2 and 36.8% of residents were 65 or older. That is a large share of people living with stairs that get harder each year.
Local care is close by at Chatuge Regional Hospital, and families who live out of the area often call on behalf of a parent who wants to stay in a hillside home.
Few programs pay for a stair lift outright, and the rules differ a lot. The Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) and the Disability Resource Center both list home modifications among their services. The USDA Section 504 program offers repair loans and grants to very-low-income homeowners in rural areas, and Towns County is fully rural.
VA programs are mixed. The HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, while the SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way. Georgia also lists statewide options such as the Home Access Program and the Credit-Able Loan Program.
A good first call is Legacy Link at (855) 266-4283, the area agency on aging for Towns County. The Georgia Mountains Regional Commission AAA in Oakwood can be reached at (770) 538-2650, and veterans can contact the Georgia Department of Veterans Service office in Blairsville at (706) 835-3980.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for frail elderly or disabled people who meet a nursing-facility level of care and want services at home. Its listed services include personal care, adult daycare, home-delivered meals and respite care; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury who meet a nursing facility or hospital level of care. Home modifications are among its covered services; call Alliant Georgia Medical Care Foundation at (800) 982-0411.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 lifetime for a service-connected disability (or 50%+ rated non-service-connected) and up to $2,000 lifetime for other disabilities. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA lists stair glides and porch lifts as excluded items.
VA housing grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 limits of up to $126,526 for SAH and up to $25,350 for SHA. The source gives ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ who cannot repay a loan, in eligible rural areas like Towns County. Stair lifts are not mentioned; the source gives wheelchair ramps and a walk-in tub as accessibility examples.
The intake and referral agency for older adults and adults with disabilities in Towns and 12 other counties. It does not pay for stair lifts directly and none is named, but it can point you to services; call (855) 266-4283.
A non-profit center for independent living serving people with disabilities in Towns and 12 other counties. Home modifications are listed among its services; call (706) 778-5355.
Older adults
4080 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, 30566
Veterans
1294 Georgia Highway 515 East, Blairsville, 30512
Yes, possibly. The Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) serves adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury and lists home modifications as a covered service. Call (800) 982-0411.
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so ask the Georgia Department of Veterans Service in Blairsville at (706) 835-3980.
Often, yes. Hillside and lakefront homes here commonly have exterior steps plus interior stair runs, and each may need its own lift. Outside, an outdoor-rated stair lift or a platform lift may be the better fit.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 lifetime to very-low-income homeowners age 62+ who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named in the program, so confirm eligibility before planning on it.
Start with Legacy Link at (855) 266-4283, the area agency on aging for Towns County. The Disability Resource Center at (706) 778-5355 also lists home modifications among its services.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
